By Ally Morrison
Cookie Fix founder and “Chief Cookie Officer” Amy Jason is thrilled to be featured in the soon-to-be-released cookbook, “50 Things to Bake Before You Die.”
The book features a mix of local bakeries and well-known figures in the culinary world. Author Allyson Reedy found Cookie Fix with a quick internet search. Asking Google for “Best cookies in the Southeast,” Reedy stumbled upon Homewood’s cookie heaven.
“Allyson emailed me last fall to introduce herself,” Jason said. “She said she was writing this book, and she name-dropped some well-known bakers who were going
to be in it. She mentioned JoAnne Chang, who has been a mentor and an inspiration to me. I told Allyson if she put me next to JoAnne, I would absolutely give her a recipe.”
The cookbook includes a vast collection of dessert recipes from the greatest bakers and celebrity chefs to small-town café owners and quality restaurateurs.
Featured as the second recipe in the cookbook – and right next to Jason’s personal baking icon – is a Cookie Fix fan favorite, the Plain Jane cookie.
“I gave Allyson a few options when it came to recipes,” Jason said. “But when describing the Plain Jane, it became very appealing to her when I described it as a combination of a sugar and oatmeal cookie rolled in Sugar in the Raw, with a secret ingredient that I used to not tell.”
When Jason started telling people the secret ingredient was cream cheese, loyal Plain Jane followers started doubling their orders.
When Reedy asked for a recipe, Jason knew the Plain Jane needed to be added to the repertoire.
“Plain Jane is such a hit,” Jason said. “It can be dressed up in a lot of ways. I’ve topped it with fresh fruit, whip cream and lemon curd, and layered them to make strawberry shortcake.”
A Different Kind of Sales
Jason has been in Birmingham for 32 years and lives in Vestavia Hills. Shortly after graduating with a business degree from the University of Alabama, Jason began her professional career in pharmaceutical sales.
When her second child was born, she made the decision to leave the business world and stay home with her children. Jason continued her baking, and after she started making a name for herself strictly by word of mouth, her hobby turned into her next venture.
“I built up a very strong base of friends and neighbors who knew me for cookies,” Jason said. “People were placing orders and coming to my house to pick up. I didn’t have social media. It was all just word of mouth. I had a lot of great mentors who encouraged me to take a bold step and find a place to call my own. I took that leap of faith about six years ago.”
Jason said she found her love for baking as a young girl with a big sweet tooth.
“My mom was a very good cook, but she was not a huge sweets person,” Jason said. “She baked some, but not often. My dad and I have always had gigantic sweet tooths. I would get these huge smiles from him when I would make something sweet. Other than the ‘I love sweets’ aspect, pleasing my dad and sharing those moments with him is what sparked my joy.”
After realizing her love for baking, Jason landed on her focus of cookies for their ease and accessibility.
“Cookies are the humble item on the list of baking,” Jason said. “They are easy, friendly and unassuming. I love them because you don’t have to wait on a special occasion, meal or day to have a cookie. In my opinion, a cookie is always a good idea. It’s always what I reach for as a mid-afternoon snack.”
Now, with more than 80 flavors on a rotating menu, Cookie Fix has three locations: Homewood, Cahaba Heights and most recently, Huntsville.